vantage: first, that your stay with him may not be long; that the time may have all fhadow and filence in it; and the place answer to convenience. This being granted, in courfe now follows all: we fhall advife this wronged maid to ftead up your appointment, go in your place; if the encounter acknowledge itself hereafter, it may compel him to her recompence; and here by this is your brother faved, your honour untainted, the poor Mariana advantaged, and the corrupt Deputy fcaled. The maid will I frame, and make fit for his attempt: if you think well to carry this as you may, the doubleness of the benefit defends the deceit from reproof. What think you of it?

Ifab. The image of it gives me content already, and, I trust, it will grow to a most profperous perfection.

Duke. It lies much in your holding up; hafte you fpeedily to Angelo; if for this night he intreat you to his bed, give him promife of fatisfaction. I will prefently to St. Luke's; there at the moated grange refides this dejected Mariana; at that place call upon me, and difpatch with Angelo, that it may be quickly.

Ifab. I thank you for this comfort: fare you well, good father. [Exeunt feverally. SCENE changes to the Street.

Re-enter Duke as a Friar; Elbow, Clown, and Officers.

Elb.

N

A Y, if there be no remedy for it, but that you will needs buy and fell men and women like beafts, we fhall have all the world drink brown and white bastard.

Duke. Oh, heav'ns! what ftuff is here?

Clown. 'Twas never merry world fince of two ufuries the merrieft was put down, and the worfer allow'd by order of law. A furr'd gown to keep him warm, and furr'd with fox and lamb-fkins too, to fignify, that craft, being richer than innocency, ftands for the facing.

Elb. Come your way, Sir: blefs you, good father Friar. Duke.

Duke. And you, good brother father; what offence hath this man made you, Sir?

Elb. Marry, Sir, he hath offended the law; and, Sir, we take him to be a thief too; Sir; for we have found upon him, Sir, a strange pick lock, which we have fent to the Deputy.

Duke. Fy, firrah, a bawd, a wicked bawd!
The evil that thou causeft to be done,

That is thy means to live. Doft thou but think,
What 'tis to cram a maw, or cloath a back
From fuch a filthy vice: fay to thyself,
From their abominable and beastly touches
I drink, I eat, array myself, and live. (17)
Canft thou believe thy living is a life,

So ftinkingly depending! go mend, mend.

Clown. Indeed, it doth ftink in fome fort, Sir; but yet, Sir, I would prove

Dake. Nay, if the devil have giv'n thee proofs for fin, Thou wilt prove his. Take him to prifon, officer; Correction and inftruction must both work, Ere this rude beast will profit.

Elb. He must before the Deputy, Sir; he has given him warning; the Deputy cannot abide a whoremafter; if he be a whore-monger, and comes before him, he were as good go a mile on his errand.

(17) I drink, I eat away myself, and live.] Thus hitherto in all the impreffions. This is one very excellent inftance of the fagacity of our Editors, and it were to be wifh'd heartily, they would have oblig'd us with their physical folution, how a man can eat away himfelf and live. The ingenious Mr. Bishop, when we read this Play together, gave me that most certain emendation, which I have fub ftituted in the room of the former foolish reading; by the help whereof we have this eafy fenfe; that the Clown fed himself, and put cloaths on his back by exercifing the vile trade of a Bawd.

In Othello, Iago fpeaks much to the fame purpose of Caffio's. ftrumpet.

A housewife, that, by felling her defires,

Buys herself bread, and cloath.

And Ben Johnson, much nearer to the words of the paffage here corrected, in his Epigram upon Lieut. Shift.

By that one fpell he lives, eats, drinks, arrays kimfelf.

Duke.

Duke. That we were all, as fome would feem to be, Free from all faults, as faults from feeming free!

Enter Lucio.

Elb. His neck will come to your wafte, a cord, Sir. Clown. I fpy comfort: I cry, bail: here's a gentleman, and a friend of mine.

Lucio. How now, noble Pompey? what, at the wheels of Cæfar? art thou led in triumph? what, is there none of Pigmalion's images newly made woman to be had now, for putting the hand in the pocket, and extracting it clutch'd? what reply? ha? what fay'ft thou to this tune, matter and method? is't not drown'd i' th' laft rain? ha? what fay'st thou, trot? is the world as it was, man? which is the way? is it fad and few words? or how? the trick of it?

Duke. Still thus and thus ; ftill worse?

Lucio. How doth my dear morfel, thy miftefs? procures fhe ftill? ha?

Clown. Troth, Sir, fhe hath eaten up all her beef, and fhe is herself in the tub.

Lucio. Why, 'tis good; it is the right of it; it must be fo. Ever your fresh whore, and your powder'd bawd; an unfhunn'd confequence, it must be fo. Art going to prifon, Pompey?

Clown. Yes, faith, Sir.

Lucio. Why, 'tis not amifs, Pompey: farewel: go, fay, I fent thee thither. For debt, Pompey? or how?

Elb. For being a bawd, for being a bawd.

Lucio. Well, then imprison him; if imprisonment be the due of a bawd, why, 'tis his right. Bawd is he, doubtless, and of antiquity too; bawd born. Farewel, good Pompey commend me to the prison, Pompey; you will turn good husband now, Pompey: you will keep the house.

Clown. I hope, Sir, your good worship will be my bail.

Lucio. No, indeed, will I not, Pompey; it is not the wear; I will pray, Pompey, to increase your bondage; if you take it not patiently, why, your mettle is the more: adieu, trusty Pompey. Blefs you, Friar.

Duke

Duke. And you.

Lucio. Does Bridget paint ftill, Pompey ? ha?
Elb. Come your ways, Sir, come.

What news abroad,

Clorun. You will not bail me then, Sir?
Lucio. Then, Pompey, nor now.
Friar? what news?

Elb. Come your ways, Sir, come.

Lucio. Go to kennel, Pompey, go.

[Exeunt Elbow, Clown and Officers.

What news, Friar, of the Duke?

Duke. I know none: can tell me of any you

Lucio. Some fay, he's with the Emperor of Ruffia; other fome, he is in Rome; but where is he, think you

Duke. I know not where; but wherefoever, I wish him well.

Lucio. It was a mad fantastical trick of him to steal from the state, and ufurp the beggary he was never born to. Lord Angelo dukes it well in his abfence ; he puts trangreffion to't.

Duke. He does well in't.

Lucio. A little more lenity to leachery would do no harm in him; something too crabbed that way, Friar. Duke. It is too general a vice, and severity must cure it.

Lucio. Yes, in good footh, the vice is of a great kindred; it is well ally'd; but it is impoffible to extirp it quite, Friar, 'till eating and drinking be put down. They fay, this Angelo was not made by man and woman after the downright way of creation; is it true, think you?

Duke, How fhould he be made then ?

Lucio. Some report, a fea-maid spawn'd him. Some that he was begot between two ftock-fifhes. But it is certain, that when he makes water, his urine is congeal'd ice; that I know to be true: (18) and he is a motion ungenerative, that's infallible.

Duke.

(18) and be is a motion generative; that's infallible.] This may be fenfe; and Lucio, perhaps, may mean, that tho' Angelo have the organs of generation, yet that he makes no more use of them

than

Duke. You are pleasant, Sir, and fpeak apace.

Lucio. Why, what a ruthlefs thing is this in him, for the rebellion of a cod-piece to take away the life of a man? would the Duke, that is abfent, have done this? ere he would have hang'd a man for the getting a hundred baftards, he would have paid for the nurfing a thousand. He had fome feeling of the sport, he knew the fervice, and that inftructed him to mercy.

Duke. I never heard the abfent Duke much detected for women; he was not inclin'd that way. Lucio. Oh, Sir, you are deceiv'd.

Duke. "Tis not poffible.

Lucio. Who, not the Duke? yes, your beggar of fifty; and his ufe was, to put a ducket in her clackdifh; the duke had crotchets in him. He would be drunk too, that let me inform you.

Duke. You do him wrong, furely.

Lucio. Sir, I was an inward of his: a fhy fellow was the Duke; and, I believe, I know the cause of his withdrawing, furely.

Duke. What; pr'ythee, might be the cause?

Lucio. No: pardon : 'tis a fecret must be lockt within the teeth and the lips; but this I can let you underftand, the greater file of the fubject held the Duke to

be wife.

Duke. Wife? why, no queftion, but he was.

Lucio. A very fuperficial, ignorant, unweighing fellow.

Duke. Either this is envy in you, folly, or mistaking: the very ftream of his life, and the bufinefs he hath helmed, muft upon a warranted need give him a better proclamation. Let him be but teftimonied in his own bringings forth, and he fhall appear to the envious, a fcholar, a ftatefman, and a foldier. Therefore, you fpeak unfkilfully; or if your knowledge be more, it is much darken'd in your malice.

than if he were an inanimate puppet. But I rather think, our Author wrote; and he is a motion ungenerative, because Lucio again in this very Scene fays; this ungenitur'd agent will unpeople the province with continency.